Stress Vs. Anxiety: Understanding the Difference

What Is Stress?

Stress is the physiological response to challenging, scary, or unpredictable situations. The body reacts by preparing a person to fight or flee from danger, resulting in increased heart rate, blood pressure, and energy. Stress can be positive or negative, depending on the cause and outcomes. For example, eustress can motivate a person to reach their goals, while distress can lead to anxiety or health problems.

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety refers to intense and extreme worry or restlessness. Like stress, experiencing some anxiety when facing difficult or unexpected situations is normal. However, severe or extreme fear can indicate an underlying anxiety disorder. Symptoms of anxiety can feel debilitating and impact nearly every aspect of life.

Stress Vs. Anxiety: What Is the Difference?

The difference between stress and anxiety is complex, as both experiences can resemble and feed into one another. In many cases, stress can precede anxiety and vice versa. However, what separates stress from anxiety includes symptom presentation, potential causes, and associated impacts.

Below are the differences between stress and anxiety:¹

Presenting Symptoms

Symptoms of stress and anxiety can be similar, and both reactions can increase heart rate and feelings of tension. However, stress is usually a short-term response to a specific event that resolves after individuals remove the stressor. Anxiety, on the other hand, tends to be more long-term and can appear with no identifiable trigger.

Differences Between Stress & Anxiety Symptoms

Possible Causes

The causes of stress are generally identifiable and measurable. For instance, individuals may experience stress about an upcoming exam, job interview, or cross-country move. Conversely, anxiety can result from both rational and irrational factors, and the possible triggers are more broad. People with anxiety may have a general fear of something bad happening, even without factual evidence to suggest imminent danger.

Intensity of Reactions

Anxiety is often a powerful overreaction to a triggering person, place, or situation. These responses appear disproportionate to the event, especially when symptoms occur without an obvious trigger. For example, a person with social anxiety may feel entirely overwhelmed by the thought of interacting with others. On the other hand, stress primarily elicits predictable physical reactions, such as a racing heartbeat, sweating, or rapid breathing.

Impact on Functioning

A primary difference between anxiety and stress is the impact on the ability to function. As noted, stress is typically short-lived as long as individuals manage exposure to stressors. However, paralyzing anxiety can result in excessive worry and fear that significantly impact concentration, physical health, emotional regulation, and social capabilities.

Associated Feelings of Dread

Fear or dread often accompanies anxiety. For instance, a person experiencing anxiety may jump to worst-case scenarios, believing a specific event or trigger will lead to negative or dire consequences. On the other hand, stress does not typically produce such extreme beliefs, and many people may simply feel overwhelmed or worn out.

Symptom Duration & Intensity

Stress can be overwhelming when facing difficulties, but people can reduce the impacts by addressing the trigger. Conversely, anxiety is often pervasive and enduring, leaving individuals feeling incapable of making change or moving forward.

What Causes Stress & Anxiety?

One of the primary differences between stress and anxiety is that stress is usually related to one or more specific, identifiable factors. Anxiety is a mental health condition that can stem from temperament, brain chemistry, or life experiences. Anxiety is not always connected to a clear trigger and can seem to arise out of nowhere.

Common stress triggers include:

• Getting or losing a job
• Starting or ending a significant relationship
• Moving or other life transitions
• Dealing with a death or disability
• Emerging or chronic health problems
• Experiencing trauma

Common anxiety triggers include:

• New people or social situations
• Public speaking
• Specific phobias
• Being judged by others
• Feeling that things are out of place

Can Stress Cause Anxiety?

Stress-induced anxiety can occur when individuals feel overwhelmed by stressors. They may feel incapable of changing their situation or reducing exposure to triggers. Eventually, they may develop anxiety symptoms like worry, nervousness, fear, shaking, or sweating.

How to Distinguish Stress Vs. Anxiety

Distinguishing the signs of stress and anxiety can be difficult. However, an easy way to recognize the difference is to examine the rationality behind your reaction. Are you responding to a specific event, like job loss? Are your fears grounded in truth? Take a step back and explore what precedes your negative emotions to determine if your symptoms relate to anxiety or stress.

Below are questions to ask yourself about feeling stressed or anxious:

• When did I start feeling like this?
• Where does this feeling come from?
• Will this feeling go away if I resolve the stressor?
• Are my feelings proportionate to what is happening?
• Did something trigger these exacerbated feelings?
• Do I always feel this way?
• When don’t I feel this way?
• How are these feelings impacting my day and life?
• What physical symptoms am I experiencing?

How to Manage Stress & Anxiety

Constant stress and anxiety can leave you feeling burnt out and overwhelmed. However, healthy coping skills, social support, and self-care can help you cope. Everyone experiences stress and anxiety differently, so strategies that work for one person may not meet your needs. Consider incorporating exercise, mindfulness, and regular self-care into your routine so you can better manage anxiety and stress as they occur.

Below are 9 ways to cope with stress and anxiety:

1. Take Care of Your Body With Exercise

Symptoms of high stress and anxiety can wreak havoc on your physical health. However, regular exercise helps rebalance hormones and chemicals associated with the fight-or-flight response so you feel calmer and less restless. Even short bursts of movement can improve your mood, whether a brisk walk at lunchtime or a dance session at home.

2. Start a Mindfulness Practice

Mindfulness for anxiety and stress helps train the mind to unhook from unhelpful thoughts that feed into worry and restlessness. Being present with and accepting your emotions allows you to recognize when you overreact to a situation or trigger. You can use this self-awareness to understand that these negative feelings are temporary and will pass.

3. Embrace Your Support System

Leaning on your friends, family, or community during times of stress and anxiety can help you feel less alone. Your loved ones can provide perspective and emotional validation. Sometimes, just talking through and processing your emotions aloud is beneficial.

4. Set Manageable Goals

Breaking down overwhelming tasks into small, achievable action steps can significantly reduce stress and anxiety. Doing so provides a sense of accomplishment and motivation as you work toward a goal.

5. Get Adequate Sleep

Not getting quality sleep can make everything feel more unmanageable, including stress and anxiety. Prioritize sleep by practicing relaxation strategies before bed and healthy sleep hygiene. Start by limiting caffeine in the afternoon and establishing a regular nighttime routine.

6. Make Time for Breaks

Stop, take a break, and step away at the first sign of stress. Pushing through when your brain and body need rest is how stress becomes chronic and leads to anxiety. Regularly incorporate rest periods throughout the day to promote relaxation, balance, and calm.

7. Try Journaling

Journaling can be a great way to process feelings and identify patterns that might contribute to stress and anxiety. Consider setting time aside to write about anything that comes to mind. Allow your thoughts to flow freely, and revisit these pages when you need insight into possible triggers and solutions.

8. Practice Stress Management Skills

Stress management skills could include mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, breathing, time management strategies, or setting goals. These tools can be effective for preventing and managing overwhelm. Regular practice can help rewire your brain and body to respond differently to stress so you can approach situations with more insight and clarity.

9. Identify Your Triggers

Take note of the people, places, or situations that contribute to stress and anxiety. While these may not always be avoidable, having increased insight into triggers can help you develop coping skills for dealing with them.

Treatment for Stress & Anxiety

Treating severe stress and anxiety may include a combination of therapy and medication. A supportive professional will normalize your experience as they work with you toward improvement. Many may recommend lifestyle changes or natural remedies for anxiety to use alongside traditional treatment. An online therapist directory can help you find the right therapist specializing in anxiety treatment.

Below are treatment options for stress and anxiety:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT helps a person identify and challenge negative thoughts that contribute to their stress and anxiety. Changing those negative thoughts helps individuals see their situation in a more realistic and positive light.
• Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT): MBCT combines CBT with mindfulness practices, including meditation and breathing exercises. This approach teaches people to notice the present moment without judgment.
• Exposure therapy: Exposure therapy helps individuals identify their fears and create a hierarchy, rating anxieties from the least to most distressing. The person will then face these fears one by one, which can desensitize the stress and anxiety response.
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): ACT combines mindfulness techniques with CBT to help clients notice their thoughts without judgment. Individuals learn to make decisions based on their deepest values rather than thoughts or fears.